Globally, there are more than 100,000 cases of novel coronavirus and more than 3,400 deaths — and both these numbers are on the rise outside China.

With the latest data showing more than 200 U.S. cases, COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is already spreading quickly. Since last week, 14 people have died, and as of Friday morning, 19 states were reporting cases of the virus.

“At this moment, we just don’t know how widespread the virus is in the community,” William Schaffner, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, tells Florence Health. “Some states have cases of community-acquired coronavirus. This suggests that the virus is in that community and has been circulating person to person for awhile. How extensive this is and if it involves all parts of the country or just a few places has yet to be determined.”

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